The Reluctant Envoy
by Drop of the Sweetest Poison
Summary: Pein/Deidara. Deidara, a trouble-making boy, is expelled from his village and sent to live in Amegakure. He intends to cause trouble in the new village, and his mishaps catch the eye of the leader, Pein. AU, Language, Pedo, Yaoi.
1. I: Removal

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

_Title_: The Reluctant Envoy

_Summary_: Pein/Deidara. Deidara, a trouble-making boy, is expelled from his village and sent to live in Amegakure. He intends to cause trouble in the new village, and his mishaps catch the eye of the leader, Pein.

_Content Codes_: AU, Language, Pedo, Yaoi.

_Notes_: This is set in an alternate universe where there are no ninja. They're all just regular people living in villages. The locations and representations of the hidden villages contained herein are not completely canon to the anime/manga.

* * *

**Chapter I: Removal**

"Do you have anything to say for yourself, kid?"

Deidara remained silent, staring straight ahead, avoiding the eyes of one of the village officials speaking to him. He glared, dissatisfied with how his latest plot had played out. He hadn't intended for it to end in getting caught.

"You've done something very terrible. Your family owes Iwagakure a lot of money."

The blonde-haired boy shifted uncomfortably as he felt his father's enraged stare focus on the back of his head. He could hear his mother stifle a sob of shame.

"How do you intend to make it up to the village for everything you've destroyed with your," the official sneered as he uttered, "_toys?_"

Still, Deidara refused to say anything. He knew that even if he did say something, they wouldn't listen. They would only find some way to turn everything he had said in his own defense against him. They would make him sound like the only person who's doing something wrong.

Deidara scoffed to himself, turning his head to observe the wreck of a village called Iwagakure out of the window. The village of poverty and despair. Of depression, of failure, of oppression.

He was merely trying to stir up some excitement. He only wanted to make things more interesting for everyone.

"Don't turn your face away from me, boy. Look at me."

Deidara shifted his eyes in the man's direction, his boredom showing on his face. "Yeah?"

"I asked you a question. I expect you to answer it."

"Sorry. I don't pay attention to annoying adults, yeah."

"Why, you—"

"That's enough."

The man froze, lowering his fist, which he had intended to strike Deidara with. He coughed quietly, taking several steps backwards.

Deidara smirked at him, watching with uncontainable glee as he glared back. This was the guy who had to deal with him every time he did something "bad."

The leader of the village, a surprisingly wealthy and well-dressed man, stood from behind his marvelous cherry oak desk that was rimmed with gold and various jewels. He pushed his cushioned, matching cherry oak throne—at least, that was what had Deidara dubbed it—back into place underneath the desk and sighed, rubbing his forehead wearily.

He fixed his tired eyes on the blonde-haired boy. "Deidara."

Deidara arched a surprised eyebrow at him. They were on first-name basis now? That's funny. The leader had never told him _his_ first name.

"I hate seeing you in here all the time."

_And I hate being in here all the time,_ Deidara thought angrily. _Why bother? My parents just let me off with a "Son, we're so disappointed in you," and I make a new explosive or two. Then my mother goes off to cry and pray for me. My father goes to stare off into space and—no doubt—wish I was never born._

"You're the only, yes, the _only_ person in this entire village that causes trouble."

_You've taken away the spirit of everyone else. Nobody has the guts to stand up to you and your oppression, old man._

"The damage you cause is enormous, I might add. Highly dangerous. You could severely hurt someone."

_The damage I cause can't compare to what you've done to this village._

"We're lucky that hasn't happened yet, but it's only a matter of time. I can see by how you've destroyed our Academy that you are… very talented."

_Was that a compliment? I think I might cry from happiness._

"However, talent isn't always a good thing. You're uncontrolled. You're wild. You need to be stopped."

_What are you going to do? Take away my clay? Fat chance. There's plenty of it all around this dump. And you'll never find where I stashed my explosives._

"I regret to inform you that numerous requests have been filed for your eminent removal."

Deidara pursed his lips, again arching an eyebrow in question. "Removal, yeah?"

"Yes. This means that you will be transferred to another village and put under the care of another family. You will undergo severe correction. If you have become a decent, law-abiding citizen, you will be permitted to return to Iwagakure."

Deidara froze, struck cold. He found that his quick tongue, which had gotten him out of many situations, was useless. Leave… Iwagakure? Leave his small resistance group? His family? His precious clay? His explosives?

"You will be transferred as soon as we're done here. If you would like to go home to collect any personal belongings that you feel you will need in your new village, one of our policemen will escort you to your place of residence."

Deidara dropped his eyes to his bare feet, following the dried trails of blood that he had acquired from his run from the police. He didn't have anything but his clay and explosives. They had taken everything but the few rags his family wore as clothing.

"I only want my clay, yeah."

The leader was surprised. "That is all? No photographs or clothing?"

Deidara held his tongue. He couldn't afford to start a fight. Since he will no longer be a citizen of Iwagakure, anything he did now would hurt his family. "No."

"Very well. Escort Deidara to his home so that he may pack his… clay."

There was so much that Deidara would have loved to say to the elder man.

But he'd be back. One day, he'd return to this village and confront the man. He would get his family and friends out of his oppression and depression. He swore it.

One of the uniformed men took his place in front of Deidara and walked him out of the mansion.

Seconds before he disappeared outside of the towering double-door entrance, he cast a sideways glance at his mother and father. He didn't smile. His parents didn't smile back.

* * *

"There is it. Amegakure."

Deidara lifted his eyes from the clay he was digging his fingers into, shaping carefully. His uninterested eyes squinted to take in the sight of the magnificent village, which was at quite a distance. "Hm." When he was molding his clay, he found that his interest in anything else was withdrawn. He'd fully appreciate the village once he had finished with his clay.

He was in a horse-drawn carriage with a couple officers. One of the men was sitting next to him on the wooden seat inside the carriage.

"Listen, Deidara," the policeman next to him began.

_Another person who knows my name and fails to introduce themselves to me,_ Deidara scoffed mentally.

"I know this is a hard time for you…" The man looked out of place in saying this.

_As he damn well better. He doesn't know what it feels like to be expelled forcibly from his village._

"But I want you to know that not everyone in Iwa hates you."

Deidara forced a mildly surprised expression.

"Your family will be anxiously awaiting your return. I think it's best if you don't cause any trouble while you're here. You see, if you act civilized and participate in the community service projects we assigned you to—"

"Community service projects?! No chance in hell!"

"—you will not only be doing your self a great deal of service—hard work does wonders for character—but your family will be given a significant amount of money and assistance. You see, your presence in Amegakure is a new thing we're trying out. You're our guinea pig, so to speak."

Deidara fumed silently.

"We transfer our citizens to another village, and if they do hard enough work to benefit the other village in some way, our village gains an ally, as well as financial and military aid. It's of the utmost importance that you don't upset anyone in Amegakure—especially its leader, Pein."

_I'm just an experiment to them. A piece of meat to throw to the dogs to see if they'll accept it._

"Well? What say you?"

"I think this whole thing is stupid, yeah."

The policeman growled softly to himself, but he refrained from commenting further.

Deidara watched with a twist of nervousness as the magnificent Gothic-style Village Hidden in the Rain loomed in front of them. Droplets of water had began sprinkling onto Deidara and the policemen as soon as they reached the massive iron gates of the village. Walls encircled the entirety of the location. Without realizing it, he slowly smashed his unfinished clay figure into a disfigured blob. He tucked it away into his pocket.

Men in black cloaks decorated with red clouds and bamboo hats that shadowed their faces were stationed on both sides of the gates, as well as high up in the guard towers.

"Halt," a commanding voice rang out.

The policeman in the front of the carriage pulled the horses to a stop and climbed off to speak quietly with the cloaked man that had stepped forward.

The man seated next to Deidara turned his weary gaze to the blonde-haired boy. "_Behave_. I mean it."

"Whatever, yeah." Deidara smirked in triumph when his flippant response caused the policeman to clench his hands angrily.

"You may pass," the mysterious man in the cloak announced, stepping back.

The other policeman remounted the bench from which he steered the horses and whipped the reins to urge the animals forward through the gates, which were swinging open to permit them access.

Deidara tilted his head curiously at the man standing completely still to the side as he passed him.

The hat lifted slightly, and Deidara could see red eyes glinting dangerously from underneath it. They locked eyes for a moment that seemed to last forever. Those eyes sucked Deidara in, luring him into their depths. Deidara leaned forward for a closer look at the crimson orbs, but he was forced to avert his eyes when the man next to him elbowed him painfully in the ribs.

The man in the cloak lowered his face to the ground impassively, the bell hanging from a string of beads on his hat tinkling softly, seemingly echoing in Deidara's mind.

The blonde-haired boy shuddered as the gates swung closed behind their carriage with an ominous moan.

This was it. There was no going back now.


	2. II: Amegakure

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

_Title_: The Reluctant Envoy

_Summary_: Pein/Deidara. Deidara, a trouble-making boy, is expelled from his village and sent to live in Amegakure. He intends to cause trouble in the new village, and his mishaps catch the eye of the leader, Pein.

_Content Codes_: AU, Language, Pedo, Yaoi.

* * *

**Chapter II: Amegakure  
**

Deidara couldn't believe his eyes. If the village appeared majestic from a distance on the way towards it, the interior was beyond his wildest dreams. They had passed countless towering buildings of steel and metal that exceeded a mere two or three stories. Signs decorated neatly with Japanese characters hung from businesses, which seemed to make up most of the village as far as Deidara could see. Black curtains hung from tinted, spotless windows. The stainless steel doors were definitely designed to keep thieves out, though Deidara doubted a single thief existed in the entire village. This village was industrialized, something that the boy had never thought he'd see.

It was quite a change from the houses back home; they were "huts," as they have been dubbed by the residents of Iwagakure. There were no collapsed ceilings to be found. Glass was not shattered and littering the ground, ready to cause serious injury to the tender feet that traveled it. Doors did not hang from a rusty hinge or were lying in the doorway, useless. People did not crowd in front of the leader's building to beg for food. They also were not forced to consume their own pets in their starvation.

The only thing that Deidara found out of place in the village was the fact that he had yet to see anyone walking the streets, even animals. It was the middle of the day. Wouldn't there be people out managing their businesses or enjoying the light drizzle of cooling rain?

The carriage halted suddenly, jerking Deidara forward in his seat. He averted his wide eyes from the surrounding village in annoyance. "Don't know how to drive?" he taunted the man in front of him, desperate for a conflict.

The driver threw a cold look over his shoulder at the blonde-haired boy but said nothing. He had been notified already of how he should remain silent when insulted by Deidara. It wouldn't be very professional to start a fight in the heart of Amegakure, which is where they had stopped.

Slightly disappointed at the driver's lack of response, the boy's wondrous eyes followed the doors of what appeared to be the most significant building in the village upward to the rock carving of someone's face—that someone's tongue was jutting out of its mouth; this was something Deidara took amusement out of. Perhaps he would enjoy himself here.

He couldn't help but notice the two cloaked men guarding the doors. Like the others at the front gates, these men also wore bamboo hats that were bowed low over their faces—to protect their identities, maybe? The beaded strings adorned with bells were a common feature as well.

Deidara suddenly appraised the uniforms. He wondered if there was a chance he could wear one for just a moment. It would be a relief to change into something more comfortable than the dirty rags he was currently using as clothing.

The policeman next to him nudged him out of the carriage, and with a grunt, Deidara dropped onto the ground, landing heavily on his feet. He gestured rudely to the man for his impatience and trudged forward, growing weary with every step he took towards the silent cloaked men. Were they even human? He knew that one of them had eyes of deep crimson. That was _not_ a common eye color from what he had seen in his life.

He had so many questions. If he had the nerve to, he'd march right up to one of them and ask them all in a rush.

Who are you?

Do you have a name?

How did you get here?

What is your purpose?

Are you human?

Do you bite?

Can you feel emotion?

Are your eyes red too?

Do you all look the same under the hat and cloak?

Could I try your cloak on for a moment? I promise I won't ruin it.

"Hurry up, kid," the driver ordered in a gruff voice, gripping the back of Deidara's clothing and leading him up to the doors. "Quit daydreaming. We don't have all day to waste."

"I'm going, yeah?!" Deidara shook the man off, stalking forward to the entrance. He absentmindedly wiped away some droplets of rain that were tickling his nose while his eyes were drawn to the the man on the right, noticing that he was rather tall. Something large and bumpy wrapped snugly with bandages was attached to his back. The boy's eyes dropped to the only appendages visible—his hands—which were shockingly blue. A small ring was on his left hand's ring finger, but he barely noticed it. He had hardly enough time to gawk when the man snapped his head towards them.

"What is your business here?" he rumbled, reaching over his shoulder in the event that he needed to grab hold of that object on his back. For what reason, Deidara did not know.

"We are from Iwagakure," the policeman bowed lowly, "and we have come to introduce this boy," he shoved Deidara forward, who flailed his arms to keep balanced, "for the envoy program we have agreed on with the leader of your village."

The tall man turned his head questioningly towards the other cloaked man, who contrasted greatly with his short stature.

The shorter man's hands were tucked into his cloak sleeves. He nodded his head a few times, the bell attached to his hat ringing enthusiastically. "I know what he speaks of," he said quietly. "Allow them entrance. Leader has been expecting them."

The taller man grunted in response. With a mighty push on the door closest to him, he permitted them to journey inside.

Deidara passed him first, and he was treated to a shark-toothed grin that left him trembling with more questions as to the identities of the cloaked men. Just how many of them were there?

Suddenly, another cloaked man appeared in front of them. He was tall and his bare chest was visible. His cloak was worn less strictly than everyone else's that Deidara had seen. The bamboo hat was perched atop his head.

"I'll take you to Leader," he grumbled, "but if you try to go anywhere, I'll kill you." He turned sharply and disappeared into the darkness of the room.

The policemen positioned themselves on both sides of Deidara and stared at the cloaked man's receding back, uncomfortable due to his nonchalant words.

The cloaked man outside waved mockingly at them before slamming the door shut, throwing them in total blackness.

"Hurry the hell up! You were supposed to be in Leader's office a fuckin' hour ago!" The angry voice in front of them rang out.

The group of three quickened their steps, and Deidara grew extremely anxious.

If there was a possibility that the leader of this village did not want him... where would he go? Would he be allowed to return home, or would they cast him aside in the wilderness like an animal?

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Deidara turned his attention to keeping his senses alert as they moved about in the darkness.

This whole village was shrouded in mystery, and he had more questions than he could keep track of already, despite having arrived a mere twenty minutes ago.

He yelped when his foot made contact with something hard, and he fell forward onto what he felt to be a polished wooden staircase.

The policemen tripped over him, landing in a pile, emitting their own cries of displeasure and pain.

Above them somewhere, laughter rang out cruelly. "Oh, I forgot to mention the staircase. Watch your step," the cloaked man advised with mock concern.

Growling softly, Deidara crawled out from under the policemen and climbed the first few steps on his hands and knees. He felt around to see how wide the area was, and was amazing to find that he was unable to reach the sides. Feeling more confident, he stood and continued upwards with slight caution, stopping to ensure that he wouldn't be surprised again. He took amusement out of the fact that the policemen were stumbling behind him.

They must have climbed three flights of stairs, which had landings on which the staircase whirled around to the opposite direction. Numerous potted plants had been knocked over on these landings—an occurrence that the cloaked man took great pleasure out of.

Finally, the darkness was chased away by a single burning torch that was suspended on the wall by an iron holder next to a simple wooden door.

The cloaked man was leaning against the door with his arms crossed and his head and bamboo hat drooping. At the sound of their footsteps, he yawned and stretched obnoxiously. "About damn time." Rubbing his eye with a fist, he turned his back on them and knocked loudly three times on the door. "Leader, they're here," he declared. "And late," he added as an afterthought.

Deidara knew the policemen were harboring a hate for the cloaked man that ran deeper than the one they had for he himself at the moment. He was slightly annoyed by the hostility that had been shown to them, but he was never one to hold grudges against someone he had never actually met.

There was silence before a commanding voice ordered, "Let them in."

The cloaked man stepped to the side and rudely left the task of opening the door to them. "Don't fuckin' try anything funny. There are plenty of us around to kick your asses if you do." His cloak brushed against Deidara as he descended the stairs, finding no further purpose in his being there.

Disgruntled, one of the policemen turned the knob of the door and pushed it inwards. He and the other policeman impatiently gestured for Deidara to enter first.

With a silent gulp, Deidara took a few steps inside. He was greeted by the sight of a plain office, which contained little furnishing. A curtained door was on the far side of the room. It was quite a surprise compared to what he was accustomed to back in his own village where the leader did not hesitate to display his wealth.

He picked up on movement in his peripheral vision, so he turned to face it. He stared, his mouth dropping open.

Another cloaked man lounged on the edge of his desk, but this one did not hide his identity with a bamboo hat. His dark orange hair was spiked, and his face was adorned with more piercings than Deidara had ever seen in his life. There were piercings lining the edge of his ears, a metal bar through both, three through the bridge of his nose, and two through the underside of his bottom lip—these likened to a snake's fangs. His eyes were fiery orange and rings circled his irises. He was a man unlike any other that the Iwagakure group had laid eyes on.

The policemen were taken aback by the man's appearance. They shot similar looks of disgust at one another.

"Welcome to Amegakure," the pierced man greeted, ignoring their reactions, spreading his arms out briefly. "I am the leader. You will address me as such for as long as you are here unless I say otherwise." His unusual eyes locked on the blonde-haired boy's. "You must be Deidara."


	3. III: Escort

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

* * *

_Title_: The Reluctant Envoy

_Summary_: Pein/Deidara. Deidara, a trouble-making boy, is expelled from his village and sent to live in Amegakure. He intends to cause trouble in the new village, and his mishaps catch the eye of the leader, Pein.

_Content Codes_: AU, Language, Pedo, Yaoi.

* * *

**Chapter III: Escort  
**

"Yeah, I'm Deidara."

Pein waved his hand dismissively. "Introductions are unnecessary at the moment. First of all, we must discuss how you will fit into Amegakure, what your everyday tasks will be, and what long-term goals you will expected to accomplish in the years to come."

"Y-years, yeah?" Deidara choked out. "Just how many?"

"Well," Pein folded his hands in his lap and shifted his position on the desk, "the goals I have for you are very difficult and time consuming. They will require all of your effort and cooperation. If you fail to complete any parts of them before the designated deadlines, you will fall behind and will be forced to remain a resident of this village for significantly longer."

Deidara clenched his fists and tapped his foot impatiently.

"Not to mention in the event that something else comes to my attention, it is rather unpredictable how many more tasks will be added to your quota. There have been many cases of this over the years in Amegakure, and though you are the first person to demonstrate a need in such a program as this one, we have trained many the same way, as you can see by the men that are positioned throughout the village. You will be required to endure the same that all other outstanding citizens have been subject to."

Deidara opened his mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off.

"There is also, like I had mentioned earlier, the matter of your cooperation and effort rate. If you are lazy, unwilling to accept orders, or otherwise disobedient, you will suffer greatly and will quite possibly never return home."

"We assure you that Deidara is quite... er... proficient in what he does. He does not lack the drive to succeed in his goals," one of the policemen interjected in a rush, flushing in his discomfort in his choice of words. He was not exactly lying about what he had said about Deidara, but he had twisted the personality of the blonde-haired boy to fit the situation. It was true that he was very talented and driven, but it only applied to the explosives that he created on a regular basis back in Iwagakure.

"He will not fail you," the other policeman declared, his strong words lacking confidence. He elbowed Deidara sharply in the ribs.

Deidara winced and looked up at the leader of Amegakure. He was startled to discover that the unusual gaze was piercing through his. "I will not fail you," he lied, crossing his fingers behind his back discreetly. A small smile tugged at his lips, and he forced himself to appear trustworthy. All that had been said to him had dropped his mood drastically, and all he wanted to do was escape and return home as quickly as possible. But nobody needed to know this.

They all jumped when the door on the far side of the room opened, and a woman stepped into the room. She was wearing the same cloak as everyone else. Her hair was ultramarine, which disturbed Deidara slightly. Her bangs hung on both sides of her face past her jaw, and while some of her hair was gathered up in a bun on the top of her head, the rest fell down the back of her neck. A white, stemless rose was nestled in her neat locks. Her eyes were drooping disinterestedly and were shadowed heavily with dark blue eyeshadow. A small stud piercing stood out from her pale skin on the underside of her bottom lip.

She took her place next to Pein and examined her nails in utter boredom.

"That is all that I feel I must share with you two gentlemen. The rest shall be taken care of in private with Deidara himself. Konan," he tilted his head towards the blue-haired woman next to him, "escort the policemen out of the building. Order Kisame to gather the others for a meeting in the usual place while you're down there."

"Yes, Pein." Konan gestured for the two men to follow her out of the office.

The policemen cast a final pleading look at Deidara before exiting.

The door was shut, and the leader and Deidara were left alone in the room; Deidara shuddered in sudden fear at the man's overwhelming presence.

Pein stood from his lounging position and circled the boy, seemingly examining every part of his soul. He stopped behind Deidara and was silent for a moment.

Deidara found himself too afraid to glance back to see what the man was doing. Instead, he maintained his ramrod straight posture. Beads of sweat collected on his skin that was beneath his heavy, long hair. Perhaps he had seen through his lie?

"Your first task," Pein spoke slowly as if in thought, "is to become familiar with the village. However, seeing as how you are new and your loyalty is most questionable, you will be guided every second you leave your living quarters."

Deidara cursed silently. There went his quick escape plan. Perhaps it was time for a new tactic: he would need to become friends with his guide and convince him that he did not belong in this village. It would take time, of course, but he was more than willing to sacrifice some time in order to restore normalcy to his life. This life he was currently leading was not acceptable. He did not enjoy the mystery surrounding Amegakure, and he grew tired of keeping all of his questions bottled up, unable to seek the answers he craved.

The leader just admitted that he lacked trust in the blonde-haired boy. However, he had no intention of becoming friends with the creepy leader. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into the ground to put some much-needed distance between them. He never consorted with adults—most of all, adults that wore that many piercings. Or adults with blue hair. Or with blue skin. Or with haunting crimson orbs and bells that resonated in his mind.

"Now, who should I pair you with?" Pein finally appeared in his sight as he retreated to his desk once again. He tapped a finger to his jaw in thought. "I'm thinking that Sasori might be a good match for you. He is rather quiet. He won't cause trouble, and he will keep you in order." Nodding to himself, Pein addressed Deidara with, "I will take you down to Sasori. From then on, you will be seeing more of him than anyone else."

Deidara stifled a yelp as the leader's hand clamped down on his shoulder, and he was led to the door. They both exited and began their descent with the staircase after Pein had retrieved the torch outside of his door.

"Your tasks will be given to you by various cloaked men," Pein informed him idly. "It will almost always be a different one. Along with the task, you will be given a deadline. If you fail to meet this deadline, your tasks will build up, and the deadlines will be extended greatly as punishment."

"Tasks, yeah?" Deidara inquired weakly.

Noticing the anxious expression on the boy's face, Pein elaborated, "The tasks will be hard work, of course. Mostly things that will be needed to be done around the village to increase productivity and order. You will not be the only one working. We have others that are not necessarily in your position; rather, they are working towards another goal: the ultimate ascension in the village 'ladder,' so to speak." He left the topic at that.

They changed direction once they had reached a landing, and Pein continued speaking. "There are also rules you must be familiar with. These rules will govern every aspect of your life in Amegakure. Failure to follow them will result in reprimand. You will not, under any circumstances, speak badly of me. You will not interrupt me. You will not question my orders. You will not disobey any of my men. You will not upset any citizens. You will, however, work with all of your effort and strive to get along with those working beside you. Do you understand?"

Deidara's head was spinning. Rules... He absolutely hated them. He knew he would not survive very long in this place. Outwardly, he nodded to Pein's question.

They had reached the bottom of the staircase, and they journeyed down the hallway Deidara had been unable to see the last time he had been inside of it.

Doors lined both walls, and the blonde-haired boy found his fingers twitching with the urge to open the doorknobs and find out what was behind them.

The hand on his shoulder squeezed to the point of pain. An exhalation from lips next to his ear unnerved him.

"You will also never explore where you shouldn't be. This village is not your own. You are not permitted to know everything about it."

Deidara nodded weakly, desperate for Pein's close proximity to end.

Once they had neared the doors that led to the open air, Pein pulled one open, and guided him outside.

The only guard that was stationed was the shorter, quiet one that Deidara had encountered earlier.

The leader dragged the shorter of the guards off to the side to talk privately. He glanced over at Deidara several times and gestured calmly with his hands. Once he was satisfied that he had said enough, he nodded to Deidara and straightened. "You have a long couple of years ahead of you. I suggest you do your best to shorten it if you would ever like to return home."

The blonde-haired boy rubbed at his temples. "I got it, yeah."

With a swish of his cloak, Pein had disappeared into the building, slamming the door shut behind him.

Deidara doubted he would ever see him again, which was more a relief than anything. If he saw the heavily pierced man again, it would only be too soon. Comforted slightly by his own thoughts, Deidara turned his attention on his new escort. "So, uh... what's your name, yeah?"

The short cloaked man showed acknowledgment to his voice by tilting his head and ringing the bell dangling from his bamboo hat softly. It seemed like forever that he had contemplated the boy's question before he decided to answer it. "My name is Sasori."

"Sasori, huh? Well, nice to meet you, yeah. I'm Deidara of Iwagakure," Deidara greeted. "Have you always been part of this village?"

"No. I am originally from Sunagakure. However, it has been quite some time since I had last graced it with my presence."

Deidara arched an eyebrow at his choice of words. "Yeah?"

Sasori nodded absentmindedly, annoying Deidara with the bell. "Enough with the small talk. There are much more important things to be accomplished today. You have a task, do you not?"

"Ugh. Yeah, I do. You were supposed to show me the village, yeah."

"That is correct. If you will follow me, we shall begin," he announced quietly, walking in a random direction, ignoring the steadily sprinkling rain.

Deidara fell into step beside him and eagerly scanned the surroundings, more curious than he had ever been. He would begin the first phase of his escape plan after he had seen the mysterious Amegakure.

All in due time; it was not as if he had much to return to.


End file.
